Monday, April 28, 2025

Beach Front Massacre: Mass Shooting In Myrtle Beach!

This is America.

Another one.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Well I guess the biggest threat to Americans is not illegal immigrants, Hamas, Muslims, transgender women, Black teens or a liberal.... it's the firearms.

Be warned, some video footage could be graphic.

Latest mass shootings so far: 105 mass shootings.

  • Rocky Mount, NC
  • Elizabeth City, NC
  • Ruston, LA
  • Houston, TX
  • Memphis, TN
  • Garland, TX
  • Tallahassee, FL
  • Dallas, TX
  • St. Louis, MO
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Conway, AR
  • Daytona Beach, FL
  • Crosby, TX
  • Stockton, CA
  • Fredericksburg, VA
  • Mobile, AL
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Kansas City, KS
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Sabattus, ME
  • San Antonio, TX
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Hammond, IN
  • Austin, TX
  • Orangeburg, SC
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Tacoma, WA
  • Pembroke Park, FL
  • Jackson, MS
  • Natchitoches, MS

President Donald J. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and the U.S. House members were notified.

The suspect was a Black teen. So expect the far right to exploit this tragedy as a part of their neverending gaslighting of racial unrest.

A shooting in the popular South Carolina tourist town of Myrtle Beach left 11 people injured, and police fatally shot one person, authorities said.

Witness captures Myrtle Beach Police shoot the suspect.

Myrtle Beach officers responded to a disturbance involving multiple individuals Saturday night in which someone began firing a weapon. In a statement, the department said that “based on the immediate threat,” an officer then shot one person, who died from their injuries.

Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune told WBTW-TV the officer responded appropriately. The Horry County deputy coroner identified the person shot as 18-year-old Jerrius Davis, according to WBTW.

“Our officer saw what happened, and when he saw that an altercation was taking place and a gun was being shot, the officer responded very quickly and in my opinion, saved lives,” Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said. “Last night could have been so much worse.”

A telephone message left with Myrtle Beach police was referred to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which said in an email that its investigation was active and ongoing. It provided no further information.

The department said 11 people who sustained injuries were receiving medical treatment.

These murderers don't have mental illness. They are calculated and prepared. It happened to be a moment where they have the opportunity to take out lives.

There's no sickness in the head. Most mass shooters legally obtain their assault rifles without little background checks. They have likely no criminal history and they are willing to use the assault weapon in the only thing it's good for: Killing numerous lives.

I dismiss this ridiculous notion that criminals are the problem, not the guns. 

Firearms are often obtained through legal purchases. 

When vacations become a thing of the past.

Again, having more security, teachers being armed and offering safe rooms are not solving the problem. The problem is lawmakers not willing to stop gun violence.

According to the far rightWhite shooters are mentally ill. Black shooters are unrepentant thugs and criminals. Gay shooters are active groomers. Muslim shooters are terrorists. Hispanic and Asian shooters are illegal immigrants. According to the far right, almost all white [or non-white] mass shooters are registered Democrats [or some progressive activist] because they have liked or done one thing common to the left. Of course, they often share or post disinformation by using the "Sam Hyde" meme or make bogus social media platforms with the shooter's image as a way to denounce most mass shooters being white or associated with conservative causes. The far right says a white person should "protect" themselves from thugs, terrorists or protesters. They believe the use of firearms are "justified" if they are protesting or even instigating a conflict. The far right believes if a shooter is a police officer, an active military member, a veteran or a citizen who supports conservative causes, they are considered a "heroes" and use of firearms are justified. If the shooters are teens in urban communities, the far right automatically assumes the gunmen are Black.

The Republicans usually amplify white victims. Anytime a person of color kills a white victim, it is often wall-to-wall coverage on Fox, Twitter and they force it into national news. They make the case to blame Black Lives Matter, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Democrats, Rev. Al Sharpton and rap music for Black on whatever violence. Republican legislators who do not live in urban neighborhoods often troll social media to talk about gun violence or crime in Chicago, Baltimore, Milwaukee and New York City while not doing a damn thing to stop it. If a white person shoots a Black person, the shooter is given the benefit of doubt. White shooters are given glowing profiles about their perfect lives and how friends noticed something but refused to do something. When it comes to Black shooters, automatic vilification. They don't see mental illness. They see it as gang violence, allegedly fatherless homes, Democratic policies or the need for more firearms. 

The far right and Republicans exploit gun violence in the Black community for culture wars and racism.

The alleged suspect was gunned down by police.

The website 
Officer Down is a memorial to those police officers who were killed in the line of duty. Those victims who don't get their names or accomplishments mentioned in the junk food media. Also the website the National Gun Violence Memorial also keeps record of the many individuals killed by gun violence. We are tracking police violence and school shootings as well. 

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend's social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline's website or the Crisis Text Line's website.

The call number to the White House and US Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the US Secret Service and US Capitol Police. 

Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-Semitic or in support of terrorism. 

We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and legislators avoid influence from lobbyists.

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Jack In The Box Cracks!

Jack in the Box is expected to close 200 stores.

American fast food is struggling.

Y'all voted for this.

Israel, President Donald J. Trump's tariffs, former president Joe Biden's ecomonic policies, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, American consumer economic woes and culture wars are hurting American fast food. 

McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Wendy's, Golden Corral, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Ihop, Denny's, Hardee's/Carl's Jr., Rally's/Checkers, Popeye Louisiana Kitchen, Panara Bread, Chipotle, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns, White Castle, Krystal, Shoney's, Taco John, Chick-fil-a and Red Lobster are struggling.

Jack in the Box is definitely struggling.

There are two locations in the Cincinnati area. The West Chester location is open 24 hours and the Cincinnati location has now closed at 11pm.

It plans to close 150 to 200 of its restaurants as it looks to boost the fast-food company’s financial performance.

The company said Wednesday that the restaurants in the planned "block closure program" were ones that were "underperforming" and, in many cases, several decades old. 

"Our actions today focus on three main areas: addressing our balance sheet to accelerate cash flow and pay down debt, while preserving growth-oriented capital investments related to technology and restaurant reimage; closing underperforming restaurants to position ourselves for consistent net unit growth and competitive unit economics; and, an overall return to simplicity for the Jack in the Box business model and investor story," Jack in the Box CEO Lance Tucker said. 

Roughly 80 to 120 of the total restaurants it plans to shutter under the program will close their doors for good before the end of the year, according to Jack in the Box.

The rest of the underperforming restaurants on the chopping block will stop operations "upon respective franchise agreement termination dates," the company said.

"This program does not include the expected 1.5% to 2.0% of system unit closures for FY 2025, and an ongoing annual closure rate thereafter of approximately 1% of system units beginning in FY 2026," Jack in the Box said.

Munchies.

The company anticipates "consistent, positive net unit growth" after closing the 150 to 200 underperforming locations. 

The block closure plan is part of the "JACK on Track" initiative that Jack in the Box unveiled. 

In addition to the restaurant closures, Jack in the Box said that the strategy includes other measures meant to help the company see "sustainable growth" in the coming years through improvements in its financial performance and balance sheet. 

Jack in the Box is looking at a possible divestment and other "strategic alternatives" for the Del Taco brand as well, according to its announcement. It has owned the chain since 2022.

Jack in the Box’s current store count includes roughly 2,200 namesake restaurants and 600 Del Taco restaurants. 

The company said preliminary second-quarter same-store sales for Jack in the Box posted a 4.4% decline. Del Taco experienced a decline of 3.6%.

The company is slated to release its final second-quarter financial results in mid-May. 

For its 2025 fiscal year, Jack in the Box forecasted Wednesday that the company will see operating earnings per share of $5.05 to $5.40, not including any effects of its JACK on Track initiative.

It also foresaw its namesake business having a "low-to-mid-single digits" decline in same-store sales compared to the prior fiscal year.

Tucker became Jack in the Box’s permanent CEO in late March. He had been leading the company on an interim basis since the former chief executive, Darin Harris, left the company for a job "outside of the restaurant industry" in late February.

Gay Republican Faces Calls To Drop After He Dropped His Pants!

Republicans go woke. They call for a gay candidate for Virginia lieutenant governor to drop out after he posted pictures of himself nude.

The Republican Party hates woke but ends up doing it anyway.

A gay conservative media agitator from Virginia is running for lieutenant governor of Virginia. The state party and Gov. Glenn Youngkin are calling for him to drop out after nude photos of him surfaced.

The agitator isn't dropping out despite the calls. If they can elect a convicted felon, sexual predator like President Donald J. Trump, sure enough they can elect John Reid.

Flawed is the Republican Party's new position.

Winsome Earle-Seals is the current lieutenant governor of Virginia. She is the first African American woman in the state to hold the title. She is the Republican nominee for governor.

Reid is her running mate. They were nominated to run against Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former U.S. House member. 

Spanberger is a supporter of Israel as is Earle-Seals. So AIPAC will pour money into the race to make sure these two back the apartheid ethnostate. AIPAC is located in Washington, DC and Virginia.

Virginia is the only state in the country that forbits governors from serving more than one term. Youngkin is ineligible for a second term. He could run after the next governor is done.

Reid is the lieutenant governor nominee. If elected, Republicans will have their first DEI win in the crucial swing state. This will also indicate whether Trump can keep his momentum going.

His job approval is at 42%. His first 100 days on curve is graded D on the economy, B on immigration, D on bipartisanship and C on stability.

Reid said Friday he will continue his campaign to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor and denied he had anything to do with a social media account containing sexually explicit photos that had prompted GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call for him to quit the race.

Reid, the first openly gay man to run statewide in Virginia and a supporter of Youngkin, posted a video response to the governor’s attempt to stymie his candidacy after the governor learned of the photos on a Tumblr account with a username matching the candidate’s Instagram handle. Reid said the account was a fabrication that comes as he grapples with increasing pressure to exit the race by members of his party.

“It’s predictable, but what I didn’t expect was the governor I have always supported to call and demand my resignation without even showing me the supposed evidence or offering me a chance to respond,” said Reid, a conservative talk-radio host. “I did not accept that, and I deeply resent it.”

The political theater comes a week before the May 2 start of early voting in Virginia’s primaries and only days after Reid’s only Republican opponent dropped out.

The Tumblr account, which was first reported by The Richmonder, was active Friday morning but was deleted by that afternoon. The webpage had reposted photos of naked men, according to The Richmonder.

“The Governor was made aware late Thursday of the disturbing online content,” according to a statement released by a political group affiliated with Youngkin. “Friday morning, in a call with Mr. Reid, the Governor asked him to step down as the Lt. Governor nominee.”

In a video statement, Reid said he did not own the account. He also said his worst fear had been that someone would manufacture lies about him because of his sexuality.

“Anyone on the internet can open accounts with the same or similar names as other people,” he said.

Trump with John Reid and his partner.

Reid became the sole Republican candidate after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity left the race because of his health.

Herrity’s abrupt exit solidified Virginia Republicans’ diverse ticket, with Reid running alongside Jamaican immigrant Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is vying to be governor, and Attorney General Jason Miyares, a first-generation Cuban American running for reelection.

Before Youngkin’s phone call, Reid said he was also pressed by a religious activist in Virginia to drop out after photos revealed him attending a drag show in Richmond. Since Herrity dropped out, Reid also said he received a deluge of requests insisting that he leave the race.

Reid described the calls as “demands that I drop out, because supposedly, Christian voters would never support me, and it was inevitable that I would destroy the ticket and destroy Virginia,” Reid said. “I told everyone who called that I did not accept that analysis and would not decline the nomination that I’ve worked for so many months to secure.”

Youngkin had initially backed Reid, writing on X on Monday: “I spoke with John tonight and know he is ready to work with (Earle-Sears) and (Miyares) to keep Virginia the best state for business, to back the blue, and to stand strong for parents.”

The conservative Family Foundation Action group wrote in a Friday statement that they “strongly support Gov. Youngkin’s call for John Reid to step aside as the Lieutenant Governor candidate. Virginians want elected officials who represent their values.”

Politicians and elected officials have received greater scrutiny for their online activity. The Tumblr account seemingly connected to Reid comes less than two years after Susanna Gibson, a Virginia Democrat, lost a House of Delegates race following reports that she had live-streamed sex acts with her husband on a pornographic website. Gibson has since said she and her husband did not consent to the live-stream being recorded, and argued the leak was criminal.

On Friday, Gibson posted on X: “Shocked to Learn That Posting Intimate Images of Other People Sometimes Has Consequences? Thoughts and prayers.” ___

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

When It Starts Affecting You?

More Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

When Americans are not going to fast food restaurants?

When Americans are avoiding bars and nightclubs?

When Americans are not shopping at the mall?

When Americans are not shopping at thrift stores?

When Americans are working more hours to accommodate for bills?

When Americans are working more than one job to survive?

Soon concerts, vacations, movie theaters, cookouts and everything will be a thing of the past.

This is Donald J. Trump's America. A precursor to what four years of a chaotic Trump presidency is. Trust me, if his first term was a disaster, this second term will be a catastrophe. This was Joe Biden's America. His support for fucking Israel has excelled the debt and ruined the credibility. Trump started the decline, Biden accelerated it and Trump will finish the job.

Are you a part of this?

Y'all voted for this.

People are living paycheck to paycheck and are taking out loans to buy groceries.

A growing number of Americans are using buy now, pay later loans to buy groceries, and more people are paying those bills late, according to new Lending Tree data released Friday. 

The figures are the latest indicator that some consumers are cracking under the pressure of an uncertain economy and are having trouble affording essentials such as groceries as they contend with persistent inflation, high interest rates and concerns around tariffs. 

In a survey conducted April 2-3 of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 79, around half reported having used buy now, pay later services. Of those consumers, 25% of respondents said they were using BNPL loans to buy groceries, up from 14% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, the firm said.

Meanwhile, 41% of respondents said they made a late payment on a BNPL loan in the past year, up from 34% in the year prior, the survey found.

Lending Tree’s chief consumer finance analyst, Matt Schulz, said that of those respondents who said they paid a BNPL bill late, most said it was by no more than a week or so.

“A lot of people are struggling and looking for ways to extend their budget,” Schulz said. “Inflation is still a problem. Interest rates are still really high. There’s a lot of uncertainty around tariffs and other economic issues, and it’s all going to add up to a lot of people looking for ways to extend their budget however they can.”

“For an awful lot of people, that’s going to mean leaning on buy now, pay later loans, for better or for worse,” he said. 

He stopped short of calling the results a recession indicator but said conditions are expected to decline further before they get better. 

“I do think it’s going to get worse, at least in the short term,” said Schulz. “I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of reason to expect these numbers to get better in the near term.”

The loans, which allow consumers to split up purchases into several smaller payments, are a popular alternative to credit cards because they often don’t charge interest. But consumers can see high fees if they pay late, and they can run into problems if they stack up multiple loans. In Lending Tree’s survey, 60% of BNPL users said they’ve had multiple loans at once, with nearly a fourth saying they have held three or more at once. 

“It’s just really important for people to be cautious when they use these things, because even though they can be a really good interest-free tool to help you kind of make it from one paycheck to the next, there’s also a lot of risk in mismanaging it,” said Schulz. “So people should tread lightly.” 

Lending Tree’s findings come after Billboard revealed that about 60% of general admission Coachella attendees funded their concert tickets with buy now, pay later loans, sparking a debate on the state of the economy and how consumers are using debt to keep up their lifestyles. A recent announcement from DoorDash that it would begin accepting BNPL financing from Klarna for food deliveries led to widespread mockery and jokes that Americans were struggling so much that they were now being forced to finance cheeseburgers and burritos.

Over the last few years, consumers have held up relatively well, even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates, because the job market was strong and wage growth had kept up with inflation — at least for some workers. 

Earlier this year, however, large companies including Walmart and Delta Airlines began warning that the dynamic had begun to shift and they were seeing cracks in demand, which was leading to worse-than-expected sales forecasts. 

Feds Arrest Wisconsin Judge!

This is America. 

Wisconsin judge was arrested by the FBI after they were dispatched along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Throwing out due process, silencing free speech, illegally entering facilities without warrants and jailing reporters.

Things Israel and the United States share a special relationship in.

Y'all voted for this.

President Donald J. Trump, former presidents Joe Biden and George W. Bush will go down in history as some of the United States worst leaders.

Republicans are pushing towards fascism. 

Democrats are pushing towards conservatism.

The moderates and progressives are pretty much an endangered species within both parties.

The FBI on Friday arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, accusing her of helping a man evade immigration authorities, escalating a clash between the Trump administration and local authorities over the Republican president’s sweeping immigration crackdown.

The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Dugan is accused of escorting the man and his lawyer out of her courtroom through the jury door last week after learning that immigration authorities were seeking his arrest. The man was taken into custody outside the courthouse after agents chased him on foot.

She was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. Dugan appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later Friday before being released from custody.

President Donald Trump’s administration has accused state and local officials of interfering with his immigration enforcement priorities. The arrest also comes amid a growing battle between the administration and the federal judiciary over the president’s executive actions over deportations and other matters.

On Saturday, protesters chanted “Immigrants are here to stay” and held up signs saying, “Liberty and Justice for All” outside the FBI’s Milwaukee division.

“The judiciary acts as a check to unchecked executive power. And functioning democracies do not lock up judges,” Democratic state Rep. Ryan Clancy told the crowd before it marched around the area.

Dugan was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. She appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later Friday before being released from custody. She faces charges of “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest” and obstructing or impeding a proceeding.

“Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,” her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. He declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter following her court appearance.

American judge arrested after feds tried to throw contempt into her court.

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, in a statement on the arrest, accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using “dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.”

“I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law,” he said.

Court papers suggest Dugan was alerted to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the courthouse by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that they appeared to be in the hallway.

The FBI affidavit describes Dugan as “visibly angry” over the arrival of immigration agents in the courthouse and says that she pronounced the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers. It says she and another judge later approached members of the arrest team inside the courthouse, displaying what witnesses described as a “confrontational, angry demeanor.”

After a back-and-forth with officers over the warrant for the man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, she demanded that the arrest team speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, the affidavit says.

After directing the arrest team to the chief judge’s office, investigators say, Dugan returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect of “wait, come with me” before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through a jury door into a non-public area of the courthouse. The action was unusual, the affidavit says, because “only deputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door.”

A sign that remained posted on Dugan’s courtroom door Friday advised that if any attorney or other court official “knows or believes that a person feels unsafe coming to the courthouse to courtroom 615,” they should notify the clerk and request an appearance via Zoom.

Flores-Ruiz, 30, was in Dugan’s court for a hearing after being charged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic battery. Confronted by a roommate for playing loud music on March 12, Flores-Ruiz allegedly fought with him in the kitchen and struck a woman who tried to break them up, according to the police affidavit in the case.

Another woman who tried to break up the fight and called police allegedly got elbowed in the arm by Flores-Ruiz.

Flores-Ruiz faces up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine on each count if convicted. His public defender, Alexander Kostal, did not immediately return a phone message Friday seeking comment.

A federal judge, the same one Dugan would appear before a day later, had ordered Thursday that Flores-Ruiz remain jailed pending trial. Flores-Ruiz had been in the U.S. since reentering the country after he was deported in 2013, according to court documents.

Kash Patel is a weird motherfucker.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said victims were sitting in the courtroom with state prosecutors when the judge helped him escape immigration arrest.

“The rule of law is very simple,” she said in a video posted on X. “It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts and we will prosecute you.”

White House officials echoed the sentiment of no one being above the law.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat who represents Wisconsin, called the arrest of a sitting judge a “gravely serious and drastic move” that “threatens to breach” the separation of power between the executive and judicial branches.

Emilio De Torre, executive director of Milwaukee Turners, said during an earlier protest Friday afternoon outside the federal courthouse that Dugan was a former board member for the local civic group who “was certainly trying to make sure that due process is not disrupted and that the sanctity of the courts is upheld.”

“Sending armed FBI and ICE agents into buildings like this will intimidate individuals showing up to court to pay fines, to deal with whatever court proceedings they may have,” De Torre added.

The case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge, who was accused of helping a man sneak out a back door of a courthouse to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent.

That prosecution sparked outrage from many in the legal community, who slammed the case as politically motivated. Prosecutors dropped the case against Newton District Judge Shelley Joseph in 2022 under the Democratic Biden administration after she agreed to refer herself to a state agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by members of the bench.

The Justice Department had previously signaled that it was going to crack down on local officials who thwart federal immigration efforts.

The department in January ordered prosecutors to investigate for potential criminal charges any state and local officials who obstruct or impede federal functions. As potential avenues for prosecution, a memo cited a conspiracy offense as well as a law prohibiting the harboring of people in the country illegally.

Dugan was elected in 2016 to the county court Branch 31. She also has served in the court’s probate and civil divisions, according to her judicial candidate biography.

Before being elected to public office, Dugan practiced at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid Society. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981 with a bachelor of arts degree and earned her Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the school.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Is On His Way Out!

Ineffective leadership allows Israel to continue its genocide.

A president without a country.

Israel has seized over 80% of the West Bank by illegally evicting residents often violently to build colonial settlements for Western European and American Jews to claim.

President Mahmoud Abbas, 88 couldn't stop it nor had the authority to do something to end it.

He is considered a puppet of the Israeli regime. Now it appears his health is declining and his days as the longterm "president" is coming to an end.

On Saturday, Abbas named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice president. It’s a major step by the aging leader to designate a successor.

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization does not guarantee he will be the next Palestinian president. But it makes him the front-runner among longtime politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Abbas.

The move is unlikely to boost the image among many Palestinians of Fatah as a closed and corrupt movement out of touch with the general public.

Abbas hopes to play a major role in postwar Gaza. He has been under pressure from Western and Arab allies to rehabilitate the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He has announced a series of reforms in recent months, and last week his Fatah movement approved the new position of PLO vice president.

The PLO is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and oversees the Israeli puppet-backed Palestinian Authority. Abbas has led both entities for two decades.

Under last week’s decision, the new vice president, coming from the PLO’s 16-member executive committee, would succeed Abbas in a caretaker capacity if the president dies or becomes incapacitated.

That would make him the front-runner to replace Abbas on a permanent basis, though not guarantee it. The PLO’s executive committee would need to approve that appointment, and the body is filled with veteran politicians who see themselves as worthy contenders.

The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, would have a separate caretaker leader, Rawhi Fattouh, the speaker of the Palestinians’ non-functioning parliament. But within 90 days, it would have to hold elections. If that is not possible, the new PLO president would likely take over the position.

Al-Sheikh, 64, is a veteran politician who has held a series of top positions over decades, most recently as the secretary-general of the PLO’s executive committee for the past three years. He spent 11 years in Israeli prisons in his youth and is a veteran of the Palestinian security forces — experiences that could give him credibility with Palestinian security figures and the broader public.

Now he finds himself in a strong position to shore up his power.

He is Abbas’ closest aide and, most critically, maintains good working relations with Israel and the Palestinians’ Arab allies, including wealthy Gulf countries. As Abbas’ point man with Israel, al-Sheikh is responsible for arranging coveted travel permits for Palestinians, including VIP leaders, giving him an important lever of power over his rivals.

However, polls show al-Sheikh, like most of Fatah’s leadership, to be deeply unpopular with the general public. This week’s decision behind closed doors by the PLO’s aging leadership is likely to reinforce its image as being stodgy and out of touch.

In a 2022 interview with The Associated Press, al-Sheikh defended his unpopular coordination with Israel, saying there was no choice under the difficult circumstances of the occupation.

“I am not a representative for Israel in the Palestinian territories,” he said at the time. “We undertake the coordination because this is the prelude to a political solution for ending the occupation.”

The most popular Palestinian, Marwan Barghouti, is serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison, and Israel has ruled out releasing him as part of any swap for Israeli hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas militant group.

As Israel’s war with Hamas drags on, with talk by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of uprooting Palestinians in Gaza to relocate them elsewhere, al-Sheikh will be under mounting pressure to unite the Palestinian leadership.

The PLO is a rival for Hamas, which won the last national elections in 2006 and is not in the PLO. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas’ forces in 2007, and reconciliation attempts have repeatedly failed.

Abbas is still seen internationally as the leader of the Palestinians and a partner in any effort to revive the peace process, which ground to a halt when Netanyahu returned to office in 2009. The chain-smoking political veteran has clung to power since his mandate expired in 2009.

Also there was an explosion in Hormozgan, Iran. It happened at a port of entry where Iranians were shipping goods and the AP claims the missile fuel was carried. Approximately 50 people were killed and 1,000 people injured. 

Israel is likely responsible for this. They conducted a similar attack in Lebanon in 2020.

The U.S. was holding talks with Iran. Israel opposed them.

Virginia Giuffre Passed Away!

Virginia Giuffre commits suicide in Australia.

The mystery of Jeffrey Epstein.

The woman who accused Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz of rape has passed away from suicide. It was related to severe injuries she sustained after an incident with a bus.

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend's social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline's website or the Crisis Text Line's website.

Lifeline is a non-profit organisation that provides free, 24-hour telephone crisis support service in Australia. Volunteer crisis supporters provide suicide prevention services, mental health support and emotional assistance through methods via telephone, face-to-face communication and online.

The telephone service can be accessed by calling 13 11 14 within Australia.

Telephone crisis support is provided via a network of Lifeline Centres maintained by trained volunteers and some paid staff. Lifeline Centres are owned and operated by affiliate member organisations of Lifeline Australia, some of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of the national group, and some of which are local branches of the Uniting Church in Australia..

Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused the Duke of York of raping her numerous times while he visit the home of Jeffrey Epstein. 

While living on a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Epstein hosted powerful figures in the country. Several known figures included Dershowitz, former president Bill Clinton and President Donald J. Trump.

Epstein committed suicide in 2019. The Trump Administration released several documents in relation to Epstein. The feds had redacted the names of people on the flight and visitor logs.

Giuffre still fought to seek justice.

Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and others were accused of sex trafficking, criminal conspiracy and lying to FBI agents.

Maxwell was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in federal time out in Tallahassee. She could be on the list of controversial pardons from Trump.

Israel has some ties to the Epstein issue. Maxwell's father was allegedly an agent of the Mossad. Epstein allegedly used the list to blackmail powerful figures.

Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.

“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”

Her publicist Dini von Mueffling described Giuffre as “deeply loving, wise and funny.”

“She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself,” von Mueffling wrote in a statement. “I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell with Virginia.

The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein’s prolonged downfall.

The wealthy, well-connected New York money manager killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages.

Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009.

In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago — President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club — when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Giuffre she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18.

The men denied it and assailed Giuffre’s credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein.

But many parts of her story were supported by documents, witness testimony and photos — including one of her and Andrew, with his his arm around her bare midriff, in Maxwell’s London townhouse.

Giuffre said in one of her lawsuits that she had sex with the royal three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.

“Ghislaine said, ‘I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein,’” Giuffre told NBC News’ “Dateline” in September 2019.

Andrew categorically rejected Giuffre’s allegations and said he didn’t recall having met her.

His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals — such as disputing Giuffre’s recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring — and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.

Virginia Giuffre was disfigured after a car accident.

Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a “substantial donation” to her survivors’ organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre “an established victim of abuse.”

She also filed, and in at least some cases settled, lawsuits against Epstein and others connected to him. In one case, she dropped her claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she might have erred in identifying him as one of the men to whom Epstein supplied her.

Epstein’s suicide put an end to his accusers’ hopes of holding him criminally accountable.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She said said she wasn’t to blame for Epstein’s abuse.

Prosecutors elected not to include Giuffre’s allegations in the Maxwell case, but Giuffre later told the court that the British socialite had “opened the door to hell.”

Trump never saw these two in his life.

Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade-schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.

She said she met her now-husband in 2002 while taking massage training in Thailand at Epstein’s behest. She married, moved to Australia and had a family.

Giuffre founded an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015.

Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident, her publicist said last month. She didn’t answer questions about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared to come from Giuffre. The post said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus and her prognosis was dire.

She is survived by her three children, whom the statement described as the “light of her life.”

Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Giuffre, said in a statement, “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”

The AP does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly.

Pope Francis Funeral!

President Donald J. Trump and former president Joe Biden will meet briefly while in Italy. The two will be in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

Two figures won't be there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Those ghouls face arrest if they set foot in Italy.

Pope Francis passed away on Monday after a stroke and declining health.

He was 88 years old. He delivered his Easter message and met with Vice President JD Vance before passing away.

He will be laid to rest at St. Peter's Basilica inside the Vatican City of the Holy See, the world's smallest country. It is a two block micro nation inside Rome, the national capital and largest city of Italy.

More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to Pope Francis over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners, church and political leaders that ended Friday, when his coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral in St. Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.

World leaders, including Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, along with royalty, converged on Rome for the funeral. But the group of marginalized people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis’ humble persona and disdain for pomp.

The Vatican said that 164 delegations are confirmed, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns. French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also attend the funeral, was among those who made it in time to pay last respects to the pope.
Pope Francis was a good leader.


Paying respects

Tens of thousands of mourners waited hours in line over three days to bid farewell to Francis, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88. A higher-than-expected turnout prompted the Vatican to extend the basilica’s opening hours overnight.

Angele Bilegue, a nun, was among the last mourners. It was her third time to pay her respects, including once inside the Vatican at his residence in the Santa Marta Domus, where she said she spent six hours praying at his coffin.

“He was my friend, so I went one last time to say goodbye,’' she said. “I cried.”

A changing of the guards at Francis’ open coffin signaled the end of the viewing period of the pontiff, who was laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands. He was being buried with his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe — emblematic of the simple life he espoused.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator. According to photos released by the Vatican, a white cloth was placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy was put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy.

The account, called a rogito, summarized his whole life’s story, from his childhood in Argentina as the son of parents with Italian heritage through his priesthood and promotions eventually to archbishop and cardinal in Buenos Aires — and then pope. It highlighted his “defense of innocents,” his encyclicals and also his illnesses.

“He was a simple and much loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus,” read the text of the document, recounting his life as archbishop. “He lived in an apartment and he prepared dinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person.”

‘We will see each other again’

Roman neighbors and retired flight attendants Aurelia Ballarini and Francesca Codato came to pay respects to Francis on Friday with very different motivations. Ballarini, 72, was coming to terms with her grief, and Codato, 78, was seeking forgiveness.

For Ballarini, the pope’s death leaves a hole in her life. While only 16 years younger than Francis, she considered him a grandfather figure. Every morning, she would log on to Facebook for his daily greeting, and respond “with a couple of words.”

“He gave everything, gave all of himself, up to the end,” said Ballarini. “I spent the last two days crying. I was not well after his passing — I can’t even say the word. For me he flew away. One day, we will see each other again.”

Codato said that she feels tremendous guilt toward Francis, having forsaken him out of devotion to one of his predecessors, St. John Paul II. When Francis became pope “he was an outsider to me.”

“I feel guilty, because through videos I have seen in these days, I have understood he was a man of enormous humanity, close to the simple people,” she said. “So I came to ask forgiveness, because I feel guilty towards him, like a worm.”

Trump will face a cold reception when he attends the pope’s funeral.

Cardinals ‘are in discussions’

The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning.

Cardinals have been arriving in Rome, with 149 meeting on Friday morning to discuss church business. They won’t meet again until next week, meaning a conclave date is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.

Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who hosted Francis during his last papal trip to Corsica last year, remembered Francis as “a free man” who “humanized the church without desacralizing it.”

He described the atmosphere inside the meetings as “good,” but said that they weren’t yet “at the point of decisions; we are in discussions.”

Papal burial

In keeping with Francis’ embrace of the marginalized, the Vatican said a group of poor and needy people will meet the pope’s coffin to pay homage to him when it arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become a point of pilgrimage.

The tomb is being prepared behind a wooden barrier within the basilica that he chose to be near an icon of the Madonna that he revered and often prayed before. The burial will take place in private, the Vatican said.

Photos released by the Vatican on Friday show the marble tombstone flat against the pavement, with the simple engraving in Latin that he requested in his last testament: “Franciscus.”

Cardinals will visit the St. Mary Major Basilica on Sunday. Entering through the Holy Door, they will visit the Salus Populi Romani icon, which was dear to Francis, and celebrate evening prayers, the Vatican said.

Security measures

Italy is deploying more than 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers to provide security during the funeral, which is expected to gather about 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square and up to 300,000 people along the 4-kilometer (2½-mile) route from the Vatican to the pope’s burial place across Rome.

The major security operation includes stationing an armed naval vessel off the coast, and putting squads of fighter jets on standby, Italian media reported.

Royals and leaders

Trump, who is traveling with first lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to arrive Friday, after Francis’ coffin has been sealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press office previously confirmed his presence, but he told reporters Friday evening on the site of a recent missile attack that he will attend if time permits, given obligations at home related to the ongoing war.

Among the other foreign dignitaries confirmed for the papal funeral are:

— U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer

— Prince William

— King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain

— Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

— Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Friday, April 25, 2025

George Santos Will Face The Music! Trump Will Likely Pardon Him!

Scat Albert will be pardoned by Trump despite the theft. George Santos convicted of his campaign fraud and failure to disclose cases. 

President Donald J. Trump will pardon George Santos, the former New York lawmaker who lied about his past and exploited funds from campaign coffers.

Robert Sylvester Kelly, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Matt Gaetz, Tara Reade, Maria Butina, Edward Snowden, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon and numerous others are likely to get Trump’s infamous pardons.

Santos, the only gay Republican elected to the U.S. House only served nine months before he was expelled by the House members. Republicans quickly turned on him after The Washington Post piggybacked on a local Long Island newspaper story about Santos past.

Zionist New York Democrat Tom Suozzi won his seat again. 

Santos vows revenge against the New York Republicans who voted for his ouster.

He still have favorable ties to MAGAland Republicans Elise Stefanik and Claudia Tenney. They voted against his outer.

Santos is facing 20 years after he was found guilty.

He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to fund his winning campaign. As part of a plea deal, Santos has agreed to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties in addition to prison time.

The first 100 days of Trump's second term has his job approval of 42%.

The 36-year-old didn’t respond to reporters’ shouted questions as he walked into a Long Island courthouse, but he told The Associated Press on Thursday that he’s resigned to his fate.

“I’m doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a text message on Thursday, adding that he was “ready to face the music.”

Prosecutors are seeking seven years in federal prison for Santos, arguing in recent court filings that he “remains unrepentant” and has not shown genuine remorse, despite what he claims.

They cite recent comments Santos has made on social media in which he casts himself as a victim of prosecutorial overreach.

In a letter to the court this week, Santos stressed that he remains “profoundly sorry” for his crimes but said prosecutors’ proposed sentence is too harsh.

Santos’ lawyers have called for a two-year prison stint, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.

They argue such a penalty is comparable to sentences handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures convicted of similar financial crimes.

Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP.

Soon after, it was revealed that the political unknown had fabricated much of his life story, painting himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio.

Scat Albert.

In reality, Santos was struggling financially and even faced eviction. The revelations led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how he had funded his campaign.

As his sentencing approached, Santos was reflective in social media posts, thanking his supporters and detractors alike.

“I learned that no matter left, right or, center we are all humans and for the most part Americans (LOL) and we have one super power that I cherish and that is compassion,” he wrote Thursday on the social platform X. “To the trolls… well you guys are an impactful part of how people shape themselves, and y’all made me much stronger and made my skin thicker!”

He also made one final plug for his Cameo account, where he records personalized video messages for $100.

“Think ahead and of any celebration or event coming up later this year. Book them today,” Santos wrote, ending the post with a series of heart emojis.

Poppa's House Evicted!

Despite good ratings and comedy, CBS axes Poppa's House.

CBS has ended The Neighborhood and Poppa's House.

The Neighborhood starred Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold, Beth Behars and Max Greenfield. It is currently in syndication thanks to its strong ratings.

While The Neighborhood will get renewed for a final season, the tie-in show starring Damon Wayans, Sr., Damon Wayans, Jr. and Essence Atkins is officially cancelled.

The Wayans sitcom was actually funny. But the Monday spot was dominated by reality television and it was won by NBC and ABC.

CBS cancelled that along with SWAT, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Blue Bloods, After Midnight and The Summit.

CBS claims budget. 

The show first aired in October 2024, with Damon Wayans playing Poppa Williams, a retired radio host adjusting to life with his adult son Junior (Wayans Jr.) back at home and working as his new co-host. The series blended workplace comedy with family life, exploring themes like reconciliation, career changes, and second chances.

Poppa’s House featured a solid supporting cast, including Essence Atkins as Ivy, Poppa’s longtime friend and producer, and Tetona Jackson as Janay, Junior’s ex-girlfriend. The season featured guest appearances from Marlon Wayans, Lamorne Morris, Vivica A. Fox, and Tommy Davidson.

What could go wrong? The show was funny but costly. Paramount bleeding money supposedly.

The show got a full-season order from CBS in November 2024, a sign of early confidence. But behind the scenes, budget concerns reportedly led to its cancellation. Even though it had consistent ratings, CBS decided not to move forward — possibly due to rising production costs and increased competition from streaming platforms, according to Rolling Out.

The series finale, titled Magic Shine Again, airs April 28, 2025, at 8:30 PM ET/PT. Fans can also stream all episodes on Paramount+.

Fans expressed disappointment on social media, praising the real-life father-son chemistry between the Wayans and the show’s heartfelt tone. Despite its short run, Poppa’s House left a strong impression and added another chapter to the Wayans family’s comedy legacy.

Damon Wayans, Jr. and Max Greenfield worked on Fox's New Girl. Wayans left in the first season when he got hired for Happy Endings. He returned for the final three seasons.

Damon Wayans, Sr. was a founding member of the sketch comedy series In Living Color. He also had roles in other television shows. My Wife and Kids was one of the best Black sitcoms in television history. 

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